Combined light fixture and sterile lamp



Jan. 11, 1944. YM s, GREENWALD, 2,339,010

COMBINED LIGHT FIXTURE- AND STERILE LAMP Filed June 17, 1942 INVENTOR.

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Patented Jan. 1l, 1944 UNITI-:D STATES PATENT oI-FlCl-Il zaauo comme momr-rx'roaa .um summa Milton S. Greenwald, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 17, 1942, Serial'No. 447,351

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to a lighting fixture particularly adapted for use in meat packing plants, over fruit and vegetable sorting tables, in canneries and packing houses, or wherever thorough illumination is desired and in addition vit is desirable that the objects being inspected, examined, sorted, packed, processed or otherwise treated are maintained in a substantially sterile or antiseptic condition. C f In recent years the use of ultra-violet rays for bactericidal purposes and for the sterilization of objects as welll as the atmosphere within given enclosures, has made available light sources which emit a high proportion of rays of the ultraviolet type. These lamps are generally made of quartz or special ltypes of glass in the form of tubes, the ionization of the gases or vapors within such tubes causing the generation and emission of short wave lengths of light of a desired character, frequency or band of frequencies. It has been found that even though'meat and other eflectively subjected to these rays and maintained in a sterile condition, it is dangerous for humans to expose themselves to these rays for even a relatively short period. of time.

`The problem solved by the present invention is the provision of a lighting yxture which suitfood products, therapeutic materials, etc. can be I 'ably illuminates the seid, of operations, thereby facilitating the worklof the operators, and atthe same timev directs rays from the ultra-violet lamp along a predetermined path and preferably inthe forni of a relatively narrow curtain so that the operators are not. subjected to the ac- Y tion of the rays from the ultra-violet lamp even though'they and the objects being treated are properly illuminated 'from the same lighting flxture. vThe use of individual nxtures, one for ordinary illumination and another for thebac-` tericidal or ultra-:violet rays, has not been satis? vvfactory. invention, both the illumination and bactericidal In the lighting nxture of the present ray sources are contained within a single fixture, the elements vthereof being arranged so as to facilitate the replacement of tht` ultra-violet lamp without the necessity of dismantling the`en. tire ilxture. v n that it maybe usedl simply as a source of V'visual illumination, the ultra-violet lamp being then cut off.'

Generally stated, the present invention there- 1 fore pertains to a lighting xture. in which'an I ultra-violet lamp and ordinary sources of illumination are embodied, the ultra-violet rays being 'restrainodb'ythcsourcesofvisualillumination Moreover, the iixture is so arranged so as to form a curtain of bactericidal or ultraviolet raysupon a table or line of travel of objects being treated or processed, the normal sources of illumination functioning to thoroughly illuminate such table or objects.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined lighting iixture from which the sprea'd of ultra-violet rays is restricted.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a lighting fixture in which the means for restrictingthe spread ofultra violet rays comprise sources of visual illumina- The lighting fixture illustrated in the appended drawing employed the so-called gaseous discharge iiuorescent tubes as sources oi visual illumination. These tubes are indicated at l and "2. 'Ihe iixture itseli comprises a central portion provided with upwardly and outwardly directed, longitudinally extending reflector portions 3 and I, the outer ends of such reilector portions forming two parallel side members 5 and 6. A downwardly directed longitudinal opening is formed in the center portion, this opening being shorter than the fixture itself. Edges vof the opening may be defined by the upwardly and inwardlydirected -lips 'I and l extending from the reflector portions V3 and I. A lamp housing, generally indicated at Il, is positioned above this opening, the ends of the lamp housing extending downwardly to form partitions or end s of the opening, as indicated at Il and I2. The housing III is materially shorter than the total length. of the fixture or the length of the reiiecting portions 3 and l, as best seen in Fig. 2. Well known sockets for mounting an ultra-violet or bactericidal lamp are carriedfby these end portions il and I2 of the housing Il, the ultra-violet lamp being indicated at i3. The

. lamp I3 may be inserted and mounted in its sockets through the opening hereinbefore noted. Removably positioned in the opening is a collimating assembly shown in detail in Fig. 4, such This center section also carries a pair of longitudinally extending .sources of illumination such as the fluorescent tubes Il and 2.` The mounting brackets and 2I are preferably car- 'ried by the opposing upwardly and outwardly directed reflector portions 3 and 4. At all events, the mounting brackets 20 and 2l are so positioned that the sources of illumination i and 2 are held in spaced relation to the reflectors 3 and 4 and below the opening and housing I Il, and the ultraviolet lamp I3 positioned therein.

This central portion is then mounted within an outer housing, generally indicated at 22, this outerhousing including a rectangular cover 23 aecomo rays and preventing the rays from impinging upon workers or operators.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the ultra-violet lamp I3 may be cut of! or deenergized without detracting from the utility of the lighting fixture as a source of illumination.

When the ultra-violet lamp is in action, visual illumination is thrown upon the objects being treated by the ultra-violet rays from both sides of the source of such rays sosthat undesired shadows are prevented and much more effective inspection or processing oi the goods or materials may beperformed by the operators.

provided with the sides 24 and.25, the upstanding sides 5 and 6 of the center portion slidably tting into contact with the sides 24 and 25, suitable screws or bolts passing through the adjacent sides to hold the center portion within the housing. The housing 22 also includes the downwardly and outwardly :flaring reilectors 26 and 27 which cooperate with the recettore a and 4 respectively to eectively distribute light from the sources l and 2. 'Ihe housing is also provided with suitable end plates 28.

When the lighting fixture described hereinabove is employed it will'be noted that the light sources I and 2 act as masking means for the lamp I3. 'I'he maximum angle through which ultra-violet raysr may be discharged downwardlyfrom the xture is delineated by the dotted lines 3Q and 3|. It will -be noted that this relatively narrow angle is established bythe light sources I and -2. y

The ultra-violet rays will not pass through ordinary glass or the compositions within'iluorescent tubes. Effective distribution of light from the sources `I and 2 is established, however,l so that the objects being inspected or treated are made clearly visible to the operators. Theco1- limatlng assembly, including the collimatingelements I4, prevents the ultra-violet rays from being thrown along the axis of the iixture, thereby limiting the scope of the eld'oi' action of 4 the All changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a lighting fixture, the combination of: a center portion including upwardly and outwardly directed longitudinal reflectors, a lamp housing between such reflectors, a downwardly directed longitudinal opening in said center portion communicating with the lamp housing, meansi'or mounting an ultra-violet lamp in said lamphousing but above the lower edges ofthe opening communicating with the lamp housing, and means for mounting .1ongitudinally extend- Ying iluorescent lamps carried by the reflectors whereby said fluorescent lamps are held adjacent the opening to act as shields for ultra-violetllays and de-limit the angle at which ultra-violet rays may be emitted from the lamp in said housing to a narrow curtain.

2. In a lighting iixture, the combination of: a center vrportion including upwardly and outwardly directed longitudinal reflectors, a lamp housing between said reflectors, a downwardly directed longitudinal opening in said center portion 'communicating withA the lamp housing, means for mounting an ultra-violet lamp in said lamp housing above the lower edges of the opening communicating with the lamp housing, means for mounting longitudinally extending iiuorescent lamps carried by the reflectors 'whereby said fluorescent lamps are held. adjacent the opening to -act as shields for ultra-violet raysl emitted from the lamp in said'housing, .and anl outer Ahousing adapted to receive and hold` said center portion, said outer housing including downward- 1y and outwardly extending reflector portions adapted to cooperate with the reflectors of the center portion and iiuorescentlamps lcarried thereby to provide virtually lshadowless lighting upon objects subjected tothe ultra-violet rays.;v

MILTON s. cirusnnwemj., 

